Kenya to stop giving first doses of AstraZeneca jabs

NAIROBI - Kenya’s Health ministry has advised hospitals to stop giving first doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines.

Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe says a shipment that arrived yesterday from the global sharing scheme, Covax, is meant for those due for their second shots.

More than 950, 000 Kenyans who received their first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine in mid- March will receive the booster weekend.

Kagwe says under the current circumstances it will be better to ensure that these people are fully vaccinated.

A single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine gives around 70 percent protection for at least 12 weeks and 81 percent after a full dose.

The minister said those who are yet to be vaccinated will be given other vaccines such as Janssen which shots from this is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. But, it is still not clear when they will be delivered. Meanwhile in Uganda, hundreds of people are queuing at the country’s Health ministry offices to get vaccinated as the country enters its second wave of the pandemic.

But facilities are reportedly running out of doses. Some social media users have also been sharing their experiences of going from facility to facility seeking to get vaccinated.

Director General of Health Services at the Health Ministry, Henry Mwebesa, said that it had taken less than 10 days for the second wave to reach full-blown pandemic level.

He also announced that vaccine doses will be withdrawn from rural health facilities and brought to the capital, Kampala, and surrounding districts where demand is high.